Growth spurs road projects near Lake Tuscaloosa dam

Vehicles travel on New Watermelon Road near the intersection with Rice Mine Road Wednesday afternoon. The road will be expanded into four lanes. A section of Rice Mine Road will be widened to three lanes. Both projects are expected to be completed by November.

staff photo | jason getz

By Adrienne Nettles Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, May 29, 2003 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 at 11:00 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | Expected residential and commercial growth on and near Rice Mine Road is the impetus behind road-widening and expansion projects that will occur over the next two years.

The city will widen Rice Mine Road to three lanes between New Watermelon Road and Rock Quarry Drive; New Watermelon Road will be widened to four lanes between Rice Mine Road and the Lake Tuscaloosa dam.

"As this area grows, we will be needing these improvements to accommodate the increase in traffic," said City Engineer Joe Robinson.

Northridge High School will open in the fall, and the Eastern Bypass bridge is scheduled to open in December. A new retail center anchored by a Publix supermarket and residential communities, including one that will have nearly 500 homes, also are under development in the area.

The 26,000-square-foot Publix supermarket is opening at a 12-acre site at the northeast corner of Rice Mine Road and New Watermelon Road in February 2004.

"We're looking forward to the widening project," said Matt Gove, spokesman for Atlanta-based Cousins Properties, which is building the Publix. "We think it's going to be good for our project."

Gove said the supermarket's construction is about one-third complete and on schedule.

"We're hoping to get the project done earlier. It's all depending on the weather," he said.

Robinson said the two widening projects are expected to be complete in November.

While they are under way, the city will begin the extension of Ol' Colony Road, which should open the area to further development. That project, which will connect Ol' Colony Road to Rice Mine Road at the intersection of New Watermelon Road, will be completed in about two years.

"When the city extends Ol' Colony Road, motorists will be able to travel from the Lake Tuscaloosa dam area straight to Sokol Park and the new Northridge High area," Robinson said.

As the city completes the widening projects, the state will be wrapping up construction of the Eastern Bypass bridge, which will link Rice Mine Road and Jack Warner Parkway, easing some of the traffic on McFarland Boulevard.

One residential community that will increase traffic in the area of the widening projects is the Lakes at North/sRiver, a 485-home subdivision off New Watermelon Road.

"This is going to be a large subdivision, so it will have a major impact," Robinson said.

The first phase of work for the subdivision, which is being built by Westervelt and Gulf States Realty companies, both of Tuscaloosa, is scheduled to begin this summer, said Dan Meissner, corporate spokesman for Gulf States Realty.

"We will start selling lots for the subdivision this summer," he said. "Anything that helps the traffic flow in the Lake Tuscaloosa dam area will certainly be an improvement for residents and spur future growth in the area."

A total of 61 lots will be on the real estate market this summer in the subdivision, Meissner said.

"Ultimately we will have 485 home sites over an 18-year period," he said.

The City Council on Tuesday tentatively awarded an $817,356 construction contract to John Plott Co. Inc. of Tuscaloosa for the road widening projects, which the city originally budgeted at a total cost of $500,000.

Plott was the low bidder on the projects.

Other bids on the projects were from DRM Utilities at $918,304, GFC Construction at $1,041,110 and Ryan Shirley Inc. at $1,105,610.

The council reallocated $500,000 in funding that was set aside for the Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems project to fund the unbudgeted cost of the projects.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | Expected residential and commercial growth on and near Rice Mine Road is the impetus behind road-widening and expansion projects that will occur over the next two years.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The city will widen Rice Mine Road to three lanes between New Watermelon Road and Rock Quarry Drive; New Watermelon Road will be widened to four lanes between Rice Mine Road and the Lake Tuscaloosa dam.</p><p>"As this area grows, we will be needing these improvements to accommodate the increase in traffic," said City Engineer Joe Robinson.</p><p>Northridge High School will open in the fall, and the Eastern Bypass bridge is scheduled to open in December. A new retail center anchored by a Publix supermarket and residential communities, including one that will have nearly 500 homes, also are under development in the area.</p><p>The 26,000-square-foot Publix supermarket is opening at a 12-acre site at the northeast corner of Rice Mine Road and New Watermelon Road in February 2004.</p><p>"We're looking forward to the widening project," said Matt Gove, spokesman for Atlanta-based Cousins Properties, which is building the Publix. "We think it's going to be good for our project."</p><p>Gove said the supermarket's construction is about one-third complete and on schedule.</p><p>"We're hoping to get the project done earlier. It's all depending on the weather," he said.</p><p>Robinson said the two widening projects are expected to be complete in November.</p><p>While they are under way, the city will begin the extension of Ol' Colony Road, which should open the area to further development. That project, which will connect Ol' Colony Road to Rice Mine Road at the intersection of New Watermelon Road, will be completed in about two years.</p><p>"When the city extends Ol' Colony Road, motorists will be able to travel from the Lake Tuscaloosa dam area straight to Sokol Park and the new Northridge High area," Robinson said.</p><p>As the city completes the widening projects, the state will be wrapping up construction of the Eastern Bypass bridge, which will link Rice Mine Road and Jack Warner Parkway, easing some of the traffic on McFarland Boulevard.</p><p>One residential community that will increase traffic in the area of the widening projects is the Lakes at North/sRiver, a 485-home subdivision off New Watermelon Road.</p><p>"This is going to be a large subdivision, so it will have a major impact," Robinson said.</p><p>The first phase of work for the subdivision, which is being built by Westervelt and Gulf States Realty companies, both of Tuscaloosa, is scheduled to begin this summer, said Dan Meissner, corporate spokesman for Gulf States Realty.</p><p>"We will start selling lots for the subdivision this summer," he said. "Anything that helps the traffic flow in the Lake Tuscaloosa dam area will certainly be an improvement for residents and spur future growth in the area."</p><p>A total of 61 lots will be on the real estate market this summer in the subdivision, Meissner said.</p><p>"Ultimately we will have 485 home sites over an 18-year period," he said.</p><p>The City Council on Tuesday tentatively awarded an $817,356 construction contract to John Plott Co. Inc. of Tuscaloosa for the road widening projects, which the city originally budgeted at a total cost of $500,000.</p><p>Plott was the low bidder on the projects.</p><p>Other bids on the projects were from DRM Utilities at $918,304, GFC Construction at $1,041,110 and Ryan Shirley Inc. at $1,105,610.</p><p>The council reallocated $500,000 in funding that was set aside for the Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems project to fund the unbudgeted cost of the projects.</p><p>"We will roll over the [ITS] project into next year," Robinson said.</p><p>Reach Adrienne Nettles at adrienne.nettles@tuscaloosanews.com or 722-0207.</p>